The present invention relates to a semiconductor device support carrier used for a liquid phase process of semiconductor devices such as semiconductor wafers, and more particularly to a semiconductor device support carrier which prevents dust from adhering to the surfaces of semiconductor wafers.
In semiconductor device manufacturing processes, semiconductor devices such as the semiconductor wafers undergo a variety of liquid phase processes. For example, semiconductor wafers undergo a washing process which removes impurities from the surfaces of the semiconductor wafers, and they undergo an LPD process which forms an SiO.sub.2 film on the surfaces of the semiconductor wafers by a precipitation reaction in a supersaturated solution.
In these liquid phase processes, the semiconductor wafers are supported by the semiconductor device support carrier, and the semiconductor device support carrier supporting the semiconductor wafers is put into and taken out of a process liquid.
However, when the semiconductor device support carrier is drawn up from the process liquid, it often happens that the dust and the like of the process liquid adheres to the surfaces of the semiconductor wafers. In this case, minute pattern forming processes and the like thereafter are affected by this adhering dust.
FIG. 12 shows a conventional semiconductor device support carrier.
In FIG. 12, a liquid phase process apparatus 1 contains process liquid 2. A conventional semiconductor device support carrier 4 supports semiconductor devices such as semiconductor wafers 3. The semiconductor wafers 3 are dipped within the process liquid 2, and much dust 5 floats on the surface of the process liquid 2. When the semiconductor wafers 3 are drawn up from the process liquid 2 by the semiconductor device support carrier 4 after the liquid phase process, the dust 5 on the surface of the process liquid 2 adheres to the surface of the semiconductor wafers 3.
In the semiconductor wafer washing process in which it is easy to secure the cleanliness of the process liquid 2, the amount of dust adhering to the surfaces of the semiconductor wafer and having diameters of over 0.3 .mu.m, is in the order of several tens to several hundreds per semiconductor wafer having a diameter of 5 inches.
On the other hand, in a resist exfoliation process or LPD process in which it is easy for dust to form, the amount of dust per semiconductor wafer is about 100.about. about 1000 particles.
The dust adhering to the surfaces of the semiconductor wafer 3 causes much trouble in the minute pattern forming process of the semiconductor wafers thereafter.
These phenomena are shown in FIGS. 14.about.16.
FIG. 14 shows the sectional side view of the semiconductor wafer. In FIG. 14, a numeral reference 6 is a substrate of the semiconductor wafer. A dust 5 adheres to the surface of the substrate 6 during the liquid phase process of the semiconductor wafer. After that, a wiring material 7 is formed on the surface of the substrate 6.
Next, wiring portions 8 are formed by etching the wiring material 7 of FIG. 14 (see FIGS. 15 and 16). FIGS. 15 and 16 show the top views of the semiconductor wafer.
However, it happens that the wiring portions 8 are separated by the dust 5 as shown in FIG. 15, when the wiring material 7 of FIG. 14 is etched. In this case, the wiring portions 8a and 8b which should be properly connected, are separated by the dust 5, so that the wiring formation of the semiconductor wafer becomes worse.
It also happens that the etching rest portion 8c remains as shown in FIG. 16, when the wiring material 7 of FIG. 14 is etched. In this case, the wiring portions 8d and 8e which should not normally be connected, are connected to each other through the etching rest portion 8c, so that the wiring formation of the semiconductor wafer deteriorates further.
The method where the dusts are discharged with the process liquid overflowing has been employed in order to prevent the dust from adhering. The amount of dust of the process liquid is decreased to some degree by the method as mentioned above, but the result of the method is not so apparent. This is because the dust 5 around the bottom of the process liquid is discharged but almost all the dust around the surface of the process liquid remains as shown in FIG. 17.
Thus, in the conventional liquid process, when the semiconductor device support carrier is drawn up from the process liquid, the dust 5 of the process liquid 2 adheres to the surfaces of the semiconductor wafers 3 so that the minute pattern forming process thereafter is affected by the dust which has adhered.